Electronic dart games are capable of automatically scoring various dart games. Examples of electronic dart games are disclosed in the following U.S. patents which are herein incorporated by reference: Jones et al. U.S. Pat. No. (4,057,251), DeVale et al. U.S. Pat. No. (4,516,781), Zammuto U.S. Pat. No. (4,561,660), Brejcha et al. U.S. Pat. No. (4,586,716), Tillery et al. U.S. Pat. No. (4,793,618), and Beall et al. U.S. Pat. No. (4,824,121). These patents relate to the use of "safe" darts made with a slender flexible plastic tip which is virtually incapable of piercing human skin and unlikely to cause damage when hitting objects other than the target of the dart game. Jones et al. introduced the safe darts and a dart target divided into an array of target plates or segments with a large number of closely spaced holes for securing darts that strike the target. The impact force of a thrown dart displaces a segment and momentarily closes an associated switch to structurally separate and electronically indicate that a dart has struck the target. DeVale et al. discloses a dart game utilizing at least two microprocessors, wherein a first microprocessor scans a switch matrix to detect if and where a dart strikes the target, and a second microprocessor that performs other computational functions required to operate the dart game. Zammuto improved the electronic dart game by using a solid rubber damper sheet for biasing target segments and a switch matrix of imprinted Mylar sheets to increase reliability of scoring. Brejcha et al. enhanced the layouts of the target by providing a double bull's-eye as in the official bristol dart target of the British Darts Organization. Tillery et al. improved the display capability of the dart game by providing a video display in con]unction with the other user interface components. Finally, Beall et al. improved the video display by enabling an owner or lessee of a dart game to program the dart game so that it displays a customized image when the game is not functioning in play mode.
While all of these references have served to improve on the capabilities of the electronic dart game, the scoring capabilities of the target itself have remained unchanged. Heretofore, a standard target for a dart game has twenty (20) pie-shaped scoring partitions that are placed adjacent to each other so as to form a complete circle. Each partition has a labelled value ranging from one to twenty (1-20) points. Each partition is further divided into three trapezoidal sub-partitions and one pie sub-partition, wherein the pie sub-partition and one of the trapezoidal sub-partitions are worth the labelled value, a second trapezoidal sub-partition is worth double the labelled value, and a third trapezoidal sub-partition is worth triple the labelled value. Contemporary dart games also include a double bull's-eye at the center of the target, wherein the double bull's-eye is configured of an inner and an outer concentric scoring area. The inner circle or double bull's-eye is worth 50 points, and the outer circle or single bull's-eye is worth 25 points.
Since the pie sub-partition and one trapezoidal subpartition represent an equal score value, conventional practice has been to electronically tie together these two equal-value sub-partitions. Tieing together the equal-value sub-partition simplified the electronic circuitry of the dart game and provided cost effectiveness for a manufacturer. Traditional dart games which have been scored on electrically scored dart machines have not required the sub-partitions of equal value to be wired independently of each other. Therefore, there has not been any recognition of a need or desire to avoid electronically wiring together any of the equal value sub-partitions.
As a result, a new or unconventional dart game that does not treat any of the sub-partitions as equivalents could not be played on a contemporary self-scoring electronic dart game target.